With new diets coming out so often, it tends to be hard to keep up with the newest fashions in eating. It can also be difficult to determine what will genuinely aid your health and what is just a fad. So in this article I decided to discuss the DASH diet, what it is and its pros and cons.
What is The DASH Diet?
DASH is an acronym for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension. High blood pressure (hypertension) is big problem for a lot of people and the DASH diet was thought up in an attempt to combat the issue.
The diet was designed to support research supported by the National Institute of Health or NIH. It has also been named the number 1 diet for the past six years. The Dash diet is also recommended by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
The diet encourages people to lower their intake of sodium, calcium and potassium and replace that with nutrient rich foods. People with high hypertension can benefit from lowering their blood pressure by a few points in as little as two weeks from following the DASH diet.
Although the DASH diet was initially intended for those with hypertension, its healthy eating plan also offers a number of other benefits. It is also thought that it can also prevent diabetes, osteoporosis and heart disease.
The DASH Diet For Weight Loss
As noted, the DASH diet was originally intended for lowering blood pressure. However, it has a major emphasis on plant based eating, making fruits and vegetables the main source of nutrition. This not only makes this eating plan a great healthy option all round, but is a great plan for those looking to lose a few pounds. The large portion of fruits and vegetables means that meals are filling while remaining low on calories.
The diet is also protein rich which offers a number of benefits for weight loss:
- Protein rich meals make you feel fuller for longer
- Snacks and meals high in protein encourage weight loss while retaining lean muscle mass.
How to Start the DASH Diet
When starting this eating plan there are a few things you need to consider. First of all, what you eat will depend on the limits you intend to set yourself. If you are using the dash diet for weight loss, you may want to lower the allowed daily calories. The normal DASH diet allows around 2000 calories a day, for weight loss you may not want to allow yourself this many.
Also, the dash diet tends to be quite low in sodium, however, some people try to lower it even further.
What to Eat
Fruits - 5 portions a day
- Packed with vitamins and minerals
- One portion is ½ cup of fresh fruit
- Leave skins on fruit (where possible) for extra nutrition
- Have fruit as a snack or as dessert
- Avoid coconuts as they have a higher fat content
Vegetables - 5 portions a day
- Full of fiber and vitamins
- Try green leafy veggies like broccoli as well as salad vegetables like cucumber and tomato.
- Use vegetables as a main meal rather than simply a side dish
- Leave skins on vegetables like carrots and potatoes for added nutrients
- Frozen vegetable work just as well as fresh
Grains - 8 portions a day
- ½ cup of cereal, rice or pasta is one portion
- Try whole grains rather than refined grains
- Eat rice, pasta, bread or cereal
- Try without spreads or sauces to keep them low fat
Dairy - 2 portions a day
- Try yoghurt, milk or cheese
- Stick to low fat options
- Try to avoid too much cheese to keep sodium levels low
Nuts, seeds and legumes - 2 portions a day
- Try peas, kidney beans and lentils
- Almonds, hazel nuts or brazil nuts
- Sunflower seed, chia seeds,
- Eat nuts in moderation due to their high fat content
Meat, chicken or fish - 6 portions a day
- Great source of protein and iron
- Trim fat from meat and remove skin from poultry
- Avoid frying meat instead boil or break
So obviously the Dash diet is great for anyone looking to significantly lower their blood pressure, but it is also great for everyone looking to simply live a healthier and leaner life.
